Carly Fiorina, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, waves to supporters with her husband Frank at a election night party in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

Carly Fiorina, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, waves to supporters with her husband Frank at a election night party in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

Photo: Chris Carlson, AP

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, center, and her husband Griffith Harsh IV, right, celebrate after she won the Republican nomination for California governor during an election night gathering in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 8, 2010. less

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, center, and her husband Griffith Harsh IV, right, celebrate after she won the Republican nomination for California governor during an election night gathering in ... more

Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP

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Fiorina, Whitman poised to challenge status quo

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In California, where Democratic women like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shattered the political glass ceiling long ago, Republicans scored a first in Tuesday's primary with historic wins by two high-profile corporate women - nominating Meg Whitman as the GOP's candidate for governor and Carly Fiorina for U.S. Senate.

Whitman, the former eBay CEO, speaking to her supporters in Los Angeles, wasted no time congratulating Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO - and then delivered Democrats a stern message about the threat posed by the first Republican women to advance to a general election for the state's top two elected offices.

"Career politicians in Sacramento and Washington be warned," Whitman said. "You now face your worst nightmare; two businesswomen from the real world who know how to create jobs, balance budgets and get things done."

But now Whitman and Fiorina face a grueling test together in the November general election: How will they fare in a year in which voters have expressed deep outrage at politicians and corporate excess alike?

"There's no question that having two dynamic, articulate women at the top of the Republican ticket is a tremendous advantage from previous GOP tickets," usually composed of older white men, says Republican consultant Adam Mendelsohn, a senior adviser to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

With Whitman now heading for a general election showdown with state Attorney General Jerry Brown, and Fiorina preparing to take on three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, "Democrats will try to argue every which way that this is somehow bad, but they won't be able to do it with a straight face," Mendelsohn said.

Democrats' strategy

On Tuesday, Boxer foreshadowed Democratic attacks in the coming months, saying the election result "shows that Republicans are open to having women at the top of their ticket, which I think is terrific. And two, (it shows that) big money worked in this primary. Which I don't think is terrific."

She also framed the races as "choices" between two very different lifestyles.

"I gave my life to public service. I'm proud of it," Boxer said, adding that Fiorina "chose to become a CEO, lay off 30,000 workers, ship jobs overseas, have two yachts and do all those things. And take a $21 million severance pay."

"The people have to decide which one of these two people is really going to fight for them. Understands them. And represents their values," she said.

Political scientist Barbara O'Connor said that with voter outrage at corporate malfeasance, Democrats will aim to tag the wealthy women - both first-time political candidates with spotty voting records - as "the Goldman Sachs twins."

Set to go toe to toe

Already, Whitman and Fiorina have signaled that they'll bring lessons from the boardroom into the political ring.

Whitman has repeatedly said she has a "spine of steel" and "doesn't need to be liked" should she beat Brown and become governor.

At the same time, Fiorina has boasted she can "take a punch," but also knows how to "give a punch" as she goes up against Boxer.

Billionaire Whitman and multimillionaire Fiorina have another key asset that comes directly from their corporate roots: money, and lots of it.

In California, where Democrats hold a 2 million voter advantage over Republicans, GOP state party chair Ron Nehring said Democrats will have to tread carefully or risk being seen as hypocritical "when the party that likes to lecture everyone about promoting women immediately starts to savage two Republican business leaders who have already broken through their own glass ceilings."

O'Connor said both women will be formidable candidates, especially if they tack left and "base their races on the issues" that matter most to voters, like jobs and the economy. Then, she said, "people will cross party lines on every race."